


Where Death May Find You

by Bae_ta



Series: More Than Heroes [2]
Category: Paladins: Champions Of The Realm (Video Game)
Genre: Action, Additional Tags May Be Added, Canon-Typical Violence, Fantasy, Gen, Witchcraft, lore based
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-13
Updated: 2018-11-29
Packaged: 2019-08-23 01:56:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,786
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16609676
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bae_ta/pseuds/Bae_ta
Summary: Their job was to collect supplies for the winter months and scout the area for any signs of Magistrate troops. Why did trouble have to find them? Was having a god with them just bad luck, or was it a blessing?





	1. When The Sun Sets

**Author's Note:**

> I hate being dormant, it makes me feel worthless and lazy. But I'm glad I found this little idea late one night! Finally, I can get back into the motion of things.  
> I'm continuing the series episodic-like. The stories won't have many chapters like the first, but they'll all connect in a continuous timeline. Here is the second of the series: hope you enjoy the read and don't be afraid to leave a comment on how I did ^.^
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

The village streets were bustling in the mid-morning despite the bitter chill of the oncoming season. The once bright yellow and orange leaves dangling from the branches above now lay to cover the ground in their dying hues. The few that remained attached to their branches were all but a sign for the busy folk below, that specific reason responsible for their multitude.

Vendor stalls and shops were filled with last season's harvest and rewards of many great hunts. People from more than just the surrounding areas were present to purchase what they needed to survive the winter, making the streets packed and fuller than what the small village was used to. Within the crowd was Tyra, Koga, Cassie and Talus, the four grouped in twos each with a list of items and products to find and purchase.

Tyra and Koga were just coming out of the northeastern end to find the village's square and with it a poster board filled with news of various importance. On the board was a wanted poster of a friend they knew and loved. Koga noticed the face and quickly plucked the parchment from its nail.

“Oh,” he chuckled to himself. Tyra stopped and turned around in question, “Looks like Jenos has a bounty on his head too.”

“What?” She asked as she leaned in to take a look for herself. “Well, that explains why we haven't seen any Magistrate shoulders anywhere. They already came through here.”

Koga looked up at the board again; there were several of them nailed to the wood. Then he noticed his own face, just one among his friend.

“What do we have here?” he said in reaching out to claim it as well, “Glad to know they haven't forgotten about me.” He added, giving Tyra that smug look of his. She simply shook her head and motioned for them to move on.

Koga compared the two side by side, taking notice of the fine details the artist was able to capture about their appearances. Then he noticed the sum of money below each.

“Heeey, Jenos' got more money than me.”

“Be quiet with his name.” Tyra warned him, “We don't want anyone to overhear us.”

“Right, right, right. I'll just give it to him as a present.” He stated with a grin as he folded the two and stowed them away inside his vest.

 

On the west side of the village were Cassie and Talus, the former holding a large basket filled with bought fruits, dried meat and other consumables. Talus, in his warm fur coat and matching mittens, was gleefully searching the stalls for delicious pastries as the two made their way down the line. He moved his hood to the side in order to better see, making sure not to pull it off as it was his protection against the racial hatred of his people.

Cassie was sporting her own green winter wear, but unlike her younger friend she kept her hood down. Her red braid hung nearly half the length of her cape draped over her left shoulder. The cold didn’t bother her all too much but she couldn’t go as far as to say she was like Tyra with complete tolerance. Like her, though, Cassie’s clothes kept her nice and warm.

Talus' cheer of happiness caused her to look away from the pumpkins she was eyeing up.

“Ooh, ooh, ooh! I found it!” he reached out and grabbed a slice of fruitcake speckled in red. “Globblenut bread!” he smiled at Cassie as he held it close to his chest.

“But Talus, those don't last very long. We can't ration them out.” She replied as honestly as she could. They were here to get food that would at least last them more than a day.

“I—I'll just get one for breakfast. Please? They're soo good.” He begged with a yearning smile.

Cassie thought about it for only a second before she decided to give in, “Alright,” she said slumping her shoulders and giving him a little smile, “Go ahead and put it in the basket.” Talus skipped up to her in thankfulness and did as she asked. Cassie handed the worker some gold and the two were back on their way.

 

Some fur blankets were handed to Tyra after she offered her gold to the shop owner. They smiled in gratitude and Tyra draped them over her arm before she and Koga walked away.

Her eyes glanced back at him, “So, you sure you don't want anything? Perhaps something to keep you warm?”

“Nope, I'm good.” He simply replied.

“The frontier is unforgiving at this time of the year. You'd be better to us as a functioning being and not a popsicle.”

Koga chuckled, “I'm practically a walking furnace, but I appreciate the concern.”

“Ok,” Tyra said almost knowingly, “but don't say I didn't warn ya.” She teased with a smirk of her own.

Suddenly, Koga stopped in his tracks when his eyes glanced over at a beautiful sight to behold. His lips pursed into the shape of an O as he examined the wolf fur sleeping bag in all it's gloriously warm wonder.

“Actually, I might buy something here after all.”

Tyra looked at it, “A sleeping bag? Well, it's a start.” She said in turning around to continue onward.

Pulling out their sack of coins, she tossed it over her shoulder and without looking, Koga caught it in his left hand.

“Knock yourself out.” Tyra encouraged.

Koga began conversing with the shop owner as he purchased his sleeping bag. An idle conversation that ended with a thank you and 'have a nice day'. As he turned to leave, a figure a little shorter than himself appeared in his peripheral. He jumped at their sudden presence.

“Oh my… gods!” he started in initial fright before following up with a reaction to the old woman.

“I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you.” She apologized kindly. Koga couldn't help but take notice of the many wrinkles on her face. Her skin sagged so badly it looked like it was about to fall off. He truly wondered what was holding this woman together.

He shook his head, “Just surprised I didn’t see you.”

“Well, I just wanted to ask you something. Do you lift weights regularly?”

Koga unconsciously choked on a laugh, “I’m sorry, what?”

She smiled and licked her lips, “I'm trying to tell you that I really like your muscles.”

This he was used to with the ladies, but an old woman? He was beginning to feel awkward standing next to her.

She continued, “May I touched them?”

At this point, Koga just shrugged his shoulders, “You know what? Why not? You look like you're going to die in a few days.” He flexed his arm and held it out for her. “Here, there ya go.”

A smile appeared on her lips at his generosity, “It's not fun getting old.” She responded as she caressed his arm. “I do miss the days when I was younger. To stay young forever, oh, it would be my dream.”

Koga grinned awkwardly, “Mortality, am I right?”

“A cursed thing.” She nearly hissed before letting go. “Well, I'll let you go then. Thank you for allowing me this moment to remember the good ‘ol days.” The woman patted him on the shoulder before making her leave.

 

“There we go, that should be enough to keep us for some time,” Cassie stated contently as she wrapped up the basket and laced her arm back under the handle. “Let's go find Tyra and Koga shall we?”

Talus nodded in agreement and began to follow when something bumped his boot. He hummed in question as he looked down to discover a peach having rolled up and hit him.

“Oh, now where did that thing go?” he heard a lady say and followed the sound of her voice. An old woman was bent over looking around as if she lost something. Talus put two and two together and picked up the fruit to give it back to the lady.

“Excuse me, ma'am?” Upon his request, the old woman turned around to find him with her peach held out in offering to take. “Is this yours?”

Her eyes were a vibrant purple and her gray, knotted and frizzy hair was braided in the back. It reminded him of Cassie’s, except not as long.

Her face lit up at the sight of him and her smile was ever grateful for his deed.

“Oh there it is! Thank you so much.” She replied in taking the fruit from Talus. “These clumsy hands aren't what they used to be. I was stronger in my youth.” She said in idle small talk.

Talus chuckled, “Well, you might want to trade it in for another one. I found it on the ground.” His hand absentmindedly scratched the back of his head.

“Oh, well that’s ok. I have more to eat. I won't make a big deal of just one little peach. But thank you anyway.” She said again and placed her hand on Talus'. Red energy traveled from her touch to him and Talus' eyes suddenly dilated.

“Make sure you keep warm tonight.” The lady continued with a smile, “It's going to be bitter cold.” She removed her hand and his eyes returned to normal. He blinked his vision back into focus and the woman walked away, that smile still on her lips.

“Talus?” Cassie called out as she searched the crowd for him. The Ska'drin perked up at her voice.

“Over here!”

The two found each other, “There you are. Where did you go? I thought you were following me?” Cassie questioned more out of curiosity than concern.

“Sorry, I got distracted helping someone,” Talus explained with a cheeky smile.

“Really? Who?” She asked as she looked around but saw no one paying any mind to them. Talus glanced about as well, not seeing the older woman anymore.

“Uh, they left.” He concluded and shrugged his shoulders.

“Oh ok, well we need to group up with the others and get back to camp.” Cassie reminded before Talus beamed up at her in agreement.

* * *

 

The wind picked up speed, rattling the branches above. A small whirlwind of leaves coasted over to him before losing its strength and dispersing the leaves underneath his floating form.

Jenos levitated cross-legged with his hands resting within his lap. And although no one could see, his eyes were closed behind the mask as he listened to the sounds around him. He found satisfaction in the echoes nature made. It was a nice background noise as he rested in both mind and body.

The horses tied up at the tree next to him lifted their heads at the approach of their owners and Jenos opened his eyes upon sensing their hearts.

“We’re back!” Cassie announced as she rounded the trees first. Talus was skipping next to her with Tyra and Koga behind carrying more supplies. He looked over at them in acknowledgment.

“Did you get everything you needed?” He asked, though with no real concern on the matter.

Talus reached up into the basket hanging from Cassie’s arm and pulled out his fruitcake. His smile was big as he took a bite and wandered along towards Jenos and the empty fire pit.

“Yep.” He mumbled with crumbs on his face.

“And then some,” Koga added as he dropped the stuff he was carrying on the ground and pulled out one of the flyers from his jacket. He tossed it into the air above Jenos’ head and the god watched it fall down into his lap. He didn’t need to read it immediately to know what it was.

His fingers unraveled from each other to hold the parchment up in further examination of the finer details. It was a wanted poster, those letters big and bold written clear across the top. A drawing of his likeness took center stage with a substantial amount of money as a reward for his capture.

- _Must be captured alive,_ it read, _By order of Grand Magister Karne. Any and all information is to be reported to General Khan, Primus of House Aico._

Koga unfolded his own and smiled, “We can burn them in the fire tonight if you’d like.” Koga offered. “That's what I'm gonna do with mine.”

Although Jenos held a solemn look towards the poster, he remained indifferent, “No thank you, Koga.” He replied and folded the paper to store within his robe.

“Look on the bright side. Now we know the Magistrate's been through this area. We just got to be more careful traveling forwards.” Tyra reasoned as she organized their supplies.

“And with their backs to us, we won't get caught in any surprise greetings,” Cassie added.

Tyra gestured to her friend in agreement, “Exactly. But for now, let’s just focus on finishing our mission. We’ve got the supplies, now we just need to secure the area and regroup with Valera and the others.”

* * *

 

The fire crackled and swayed against the soft autumn breeze as the Paladins slept huddled around it. Most of them were hidden deep within their sleeping bags to escape the bitter cold of the night, but Tyra was used to these frontier conditions and slept with her head out from under her bearskin.

Jenos floated next to them as he always did each night, keeping a watchful eye of their surroundings as he multitasked with his stars. Sleep was never a necessity for him.

It was the in the dead of night when one of the sleeping bags began to shuffle to the movement of its occupant. Jenos' attention was pulled from his work when Talus emerged from the warmth of his bed and stood.

“Talus?” he whispered in question, but Talus appeared to take no notice. His eyes were glazed over and dilated and as soon as he got up, he walked away.

Jenos blinked in confusion, was the boy sleepwalking? “Talus, where are you going?”

He still refused to answer and when he vanished behind the brush, Jenos moved to follow.

* * *

 

Within a clearing deep under the pines outside the village, a fire smoked underneath a giant, black, boiling cauldron. Torches of incense bordered the area in a large circle with the fire pit in the center and a fur skinned tent north of it. The tent was filled with hanging alchemical ingredients, baskets of small dead mammals, and a few tables lined with tools not many would want to see used first hand.

The old lady from the village earlier that day emerged from within her tent carrying a bowl and a ladle. She was barefoot and barely dressed for the season with rags and fur to keep her warm and covered. Her hair was let down as some hung over her face hiding only one of her piercing violet eyes.

She walked over to the cauldron and dipped the ladle inside to fill her bowl with its contents. And once it was full, she drank it down. A choke of disgust came from her, the taste vile and bitter.

“Now all I need is the child.” She said before her hand wiped her mouth clean. They shook from weakness due to her age and she moaned at her predicament.

A mirror was hanging outside her tent with herself walking up to it to peer at the hag staring back.

“Soon I won't have to look at this ugly face.” She reminisced a time when she was young and beautiful, full of energy, spirit, and life. A time she couldn't wait to go back to.

In the mirror, a small figure appeared from the darkness behind the tree line. Her eyes widened and a smile grew big on her lips as she turned around to greet her guest.

Talus walked into her camp and she rushed over to him with open arms.

“You're here!” She exclaimed whilst trying to hold back her anxiety. “I'm so glad you came,” her hand rested on his back as she led him over to a wooden table outside the tent. “You look so young. And a Ska'drin too. Oh, no one will miss you.”

She lifted him up onto the table and began tying his wrists to the sides. She went back into the tent to retrieve a cloth and returned to unraveled it next to him on the table. Within was a twisted knife, stained with the blood of the previous unlucky. A bowl was sat down next to it along with a thin hollow tube with a needlepoint end.

She picked up the knife and unbuttoned his coat to reveal his stomach.

“This will be over soon,” she whispered as she got straight to work and positioned the knife against his skin. “You won't feel a thing—”

“Talus!”

The voice alone made the woman nearly jump out of her skin, but it wasn't until she turned around that her heart seemed to have stopped working.

Jenos levitated at the edge of her camp with clenched fists and a deep frown. His eyes were hidden behind his mask, but she knew he was glaring daggers into her soul. She could feel it.

“You’re a god…” she whimpered in fear as Jenos slowly, threateningly, closed the gap between them.

“You're a witch.” The word was like poison to him and he spoke it as so.

Tears welled up in her eyes as her knuckles became white from her grip of the knife still clenched in her hand behind her back. She stilled her shaking form as much as she could before a battle cry filled with fear emitted from her throat. She sprung into position and threw the knife with all her might. It traveled fast through the air, but Jenos did not move, rather simply tilted his head to the right as it whizzed by just barely cutting off the ends of his hair. Far behind them, the weapon impaled a tree and as Jenos' eyes returned from it to her, she felt her soul leave her body.

“I'm sorry.” She whispered in a last-ditch attempt to evade the inevitable, but Jenos didn’t care.

His teeth clenched together as his hands were flung outward. His cosmic force flew towards her and she shielded her face with her arms before her entire being was thrown back over the table Talus was tied to and landing cleanly on her neck beside one of the standing torches.

Talus's eyes suddenly returned to normal and a gasp escaped him from the biting cold against his torso. He attempted to sit upright, but his bound wrists prevented it and he was pulled back down. Testing his hands, he began to grow fearful when his situation became clear. But Jenos' presence quickly quelled his worry as he noticed his friend approaching.

“Jenos?! What's going on?” he asked with a shaking voice. He grimaced from the sudden pain in his head, “Ugh, my head… where are we? I can't remember anything!”

“Calm down,” the celestial answered as he cast a lotus upon the boy before working to untie the rope. When he was freed, Talus sat up and held a hand to his head after he buttoned up his coat.

“Return to the others, I'll meet you there.” He said, but Talus looked up at him, still confused.

“But I don’t—”

Jenos understood completely and interrupted him by relaying the path back to camp through a quick mind link. Their eyes glowed for a brief second before fading away again and Jenos urged him to go once more. This time, Talus nodded and got to his feet to run off towards the trees. When he was out of sight, Jenos returned his attention to his current surroundings.

A ball of cosmic energy appeared in his hand and he turned around to release its power upon the tent. The camp exploded into blue flames as cloth, fur, and wood began to burn in a fury.

The sudden light brought the old woman back into consciousness and she gasped at what she saw. With great effort, she lifted herself up and peered over at Jenos as he continued to destroy all of that which she created. Seething rage boiled within her and with her last ounce of strength and life, she rushed at him with a high pitch scream.

“You’re going to kill me!” She screeched as she swung her hand. Nails dug into his skin and across his left cheek. Jenos grunted from the sudden attack and quickly caught her in void grip before she had a chance to land any more hits.

The wanted poster that had been tucked away within his robe fell out and drifted down to the dirt out of sight of its owner’s attention. Jenos’ eyes were glued to the woman as she struggled desperately with tears of anger streaming down her cheeks in spatting cursed words into his face.

“Silence!” He hollered back before throwing her once again towards the fire that engulfed her tent. Her body hit the cauldron and knocked it over, spilling the hot liquid out onto the ground. It soaked into the dirt before reaching her form that now lay belly down with her face buried in the ground.

Jenos narrowed his eyes at her, knowing that if the flames didn’t take her then time surely would. And with that, he left her to her own demise as he retreated to catch up with Talus and return to the others.

* * *

 

Their fire had whittled down to a small flame by the time the two got back, their three friends still fast asleep and unaware of the event that took place.

“Wake up.” Jenos’ booming voice aired over them all and woke Tyra with a shook. “We are leaving.” He said firmly as he knelt down beside Talus who had returned to his bed to sit.

Tyra leaned up on her elbow, “What?”

Cassie appeared from under her covers rubbing at her eyes, “What happened?” she whispered out of sleep.

“Pack up your things and get the horses ready, we must leave now,” Jenos repeated as he lifted Talus’ chin to examine his face. “How’s your head?” His voice leveled to a softer tone.

“Better,” Talus replied as he looked up at his mask. Jenos’ eyes began to glow again, “What are you doing?” he asked him.

“I’m checking to make sure there aren’t any lingering spells still attached to you,” Jenos explained as he gently probed his psyche. “She used a suggestive hypnosis spell to get you to come to her. It’s relatively harmless unless left unbothered for a period of time.”

“She—? Wait—what?” Cassie stumbled.

“What are you talking about?” Tyra asked more clearly.

Jenos glanced their way, “There was a witch in this area and she tried to sacrifice Talus in a life exchanging ritual. If she had succeeded, Talus would be dead and she alive to live out the years she would have stolen from him.” Talus looked down with a hard lump in the back of his throat.

Cassie gasped in response as Tyra was literally taken back, “What?” she exclaimed loud enough to bother Koga from his rest.

The former Thousand Hands member groaned, his voice muffled from his sleeping bag as he refused to rise up and out of it, “Is the Magistrate attacking us?”

“No,” Tyra replied just as loudly as she did before.

“Alright, wake me up when the sun returns then.”

“He’s ok now, right?” Cassie asked as she got up from her covers to sat beside Talus. Her hand was placed comfortingly across his back.

“Just one second,” Jenos replied as he reached up to place two fingers on each of the Ska’drin’s temples. He leaned forward and touched foreheads with him as Talus closed his eyes in preparation. A fog was suddenly lifted from his mind and focus came back to him instantly. He blinked his eyes when Jenos moved away, the brightened glow behind his mask fading back to its normal intensity.

“Is that better?” He inquired.

Talus breathed a sigh of relief, “Yeah, I can think now. But I still don’t remember how I got there.”

Jenos stood, “It’s ok, you were asleep when it happened.” He looked over at the other three again, “But we must leave now. The commotion we caused surely woke some of the villagers and the fire will call their attention to these woods. Better that we shouldn’t have to explain why we are here.”

“Couldn’t agree more,” Tyra replied as she got up to her feet and began to pack her things with Cassie and Talus doing the same. The huntress’ eyes glanced down at their still sleeping friend stuff in his bag. “Hey, ninja freak. We’re leaving, get up.” She called out before throwing a rock at him. It hit his body and he moaned in protest.

“But it’s cold.” He mumbled.

“I told you to get a coat.”

“Shut up mom.” Koga retorted.

“Get to your horse, we’re leaving now.” She could hear the muffled groans before a hand emerged from the bag. It slapped the ground a few times before finally finding his guns and pulled them in. Koga then proceeded to caterpillar over to his horse. Tyra shook her head.

Jenos touched his cheek when the pain began to throb a bit. He blinked as he felt the wound, three scratches across his lower cheek with the third right across his jawline. It wasn’t deep, but blood was certainly present.

Talus noticed this as well, “Did she get you?” he asked.

Jenos’ hand fell from his cheek and he looked down at his friend, “Just a few scratches; it’ll heal.” He reassured him.

“This witch is dead now, right?” Tyra asked from where she was packing up the saddles.

Jenos nodded in confirmation, “Most certainly. With the ritual having been interrupted and her supplies gone, she won’t last until morning.”

“Good,” Cassie commented with clear disdain in her tone.

* * *

 

The blue fire roared behind her as the woman remained unconscious on the dirt. A moan escaped her as a hand reached out. Her head lifted from the ground with strands of hair falling into her face. She coughed the dirt from her mouth and lifted herself up onto steady knees, a hand clasped against her forehead. Brown hair was pulled away from her eyes as she cleared her face from further obscurities.

Suddenly, purple eyes widened in realization and a gasp escaped her soft lips. Her fingers grabbed at her hair again and brought it back into sight. No longer was it grey with age, but brown like it had been when she was younger. Another gasp and she examined her hands. Smooth and soft was her skin with no wrinkles to be seen.

She jumped up with little to no effort. No snap of protest in her knees or pain in her back. She ran over to the mirror that now lay broken to pieces by the fire that continued consuming her life’s work. In picking up a shard, she held it to her face and nearly wept with joy upon seeing the young, beautiful woman staring back.

“It was completed? I’m still alive!” She exclaimed in utter surprise yet complete acceptance. She dropped the shard and raised her hands up as she reveled in her good fortune.

“I’m young again!”


	2. Dawn Will Arise Soon After

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Remialcsid

The fire had finally begun to die when the morning sun peaked over the thick darkness on the horizon. Its rays were only visible from the pink and purple clouds dotting the sky above.

The witch, still remained at her camp, pacing back and forth with a shard of glass glued to her fingers as she twirled a small strand of her hair around in thought.

“How did this even happen?” She questioned out loud, a habit she had formed from her years of solitude and study in the ancient mystic arts. “I did nothing to the boy…”

When realization finally dawned on her, her footsteps paused and the shard was placed down on a chunk of wood broken off from the outside table.

“Unless…” She said, peering down at her right hand whilst holding her wrist. Her last effort against the god came back to her and upon attacking him she had drawn blood. Upon closer examination of her fingernails, she did not see any dried evidence of such.

Her eyes grew in understanding and her mouth was left agape, “His blood, it must have been absorbed. It completed the ritual.” With this conclusion, a small smile appeared on her lips.

She chuckled at her luck, “I don’t believe it, the blood from a god!” Then suddenly, the smile slowly faded and she blinked in further observation, “The blood from a god… a _god_ , that is _immortal_!” she exclaimed in fear.

Rushing back towards her tent, she fell down to the dirt and sifted through what rubble she could to find the object of interest.

“Please tell me the channel closed. It has to be closed.” She pleaded, growing desperate each second as she widened her search. When she finally found the glimmer of the blade, shaking hands hastily scrambled for it and its point was held against the inside of her right forearm.

A small incision was made, blood seeped out of the wound and trickled down the slope of her arm. She then bit her lip and closed her eyes as she brought up a healing spell in her left hand. Red magic glimmered between her fingertips before being directed onto the injury. Through this all, she kept her eyes closed in anticipation of the result and only opened them again when the spell was complete. Her heart sank at the sign.

The wound was still there.

“No.” She growled out as no more than a whisper and immediately tried again but to no avail. As before the cut simply would not heal. “No, no, no, no!” Again and again, her attempts continued but as it remained, the incision symbolized what she feared most.

She dropped the knife and stared about her camp at a loss for what to do. But when her eyes laid sight on a parchment resting in the dirt, she furrowed her brows and went over to pick it up. It was a wanted poster of the god she encountered, the one that did this to her.

_Jenos,_ it read.

Her lips pressed together as breaths came heavy through her nose. Dread gave way to determination, anger, and hatred; and when she glanced up at the fading stars still shining through the morning light, she made a silent vow and formulated a plan she could never back out of.

* * *

 

The early morning, blue sky reflected in the water behind Jenos as he gazed down upon his face. His head turned to the right so the marks on his cheek could be better observed. Still red and irritated, the three scratches had yet to heal and this simple fact worried him more than he wanted it to.

His hand gently touched the skin; a slight sting emanated from it, but nothing more.

“Why hasn’t it healed yet?” He whispered.

Koga looked up from where he was filling his waterskin across the stream, “Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll return to your old handsome self in no time.”

Jenos too lifted his gaze, “That’s not what I’m worried about.” He corrected, “My wound should have healed by now. It has been hours.”

“Maybe you just need a little more time.” Cassie offered after quick thought. “You did say she was a witch. What if this is some kind of special case or something?”

“Even so, that shouldn’t prevent me from healing.” Jenos went on to further explain, “It is passive and occurs automatically due to my connection with this form. Something is blocking it.”

“What you can’t heal yourself?” Koga asked.

“No,” Jenos replied casually, choosing not to further enlighten in the hope that the truth was clear. He was eternal, the rest of them were not.

“But something _is_ stopping it.” Tyra pointed out. Jenos merely closed his mouth and looked back at his reflection in the water. “You said it yourself, _that_ should have healed by now. I’ve seen you heal yourself quicker than this.”

“Is the wound deep?” Cassie inquired again, “It looks like a tiger attacked you.”

“It is but a scratch.” Lightened their worry.

“This is all my fault,” Talus grumbled and he slumped his shoulders.

“What do you mean, kid?” Koga was the one to ask.

“It’s because of the witch.” He clarified, “If it hadn’t been for me…”

Cassie stopped him before he could say any more, “Talus, you were under a spell. Besides, its not like you actually tried to get involved with her. She came after us when she targeted you.”

“Wait, how did she even find us? Our camp wasn’t exactly out in the open and the fire wasn’t billowing much smoke.” Tyra deduced. “Did anyone approach you while you two were in the market?”

Talus perked up, “Uh yeah, there was that old lady I was helping.”

“I never saw her,” Cassie informed, “She apparently left before I came back because Talus wasn’t behind me.”

“She dropped her food and I picked it up for her. She then thanked me and… told me about how much she missed being young.” He wanted to slap his forehead, “See! It is my fault!”

“It’s not your fault,” Cassie argued again.

“Wait!” Koga exclaimed with a pointed finger, “Did she have purple eyes?”

“Yeah.”

“That was the same creepy old lady that started flirting with me,” He said while looking at Tyra, “I told you.”

“You flirted with a witch?” Tyra exclaimed in disbelief.

“ _I_ didn’t flirt with _her_ , she approached me. She… wanted to feel my biceps apparently.”

“And you let her?” Now she sounded like a disappointed mother.

“I couldn’t say no! She was old, and ugly, and looked like she was gonna die in a few days—which apparently was correct. I was just trying to be nice. Besides, I didn’t _know_ she was a witch, but boy was she ugly.”

“She was trying to seduce you.” Jenos finally spoke again, removing his eyes from the water to meet with Koga’s. “May have been desperate as her time was running out, but your disinterest was clear and she moved on to find Talus: someone with more years to offer her.” Masked eyes met caramel. “You cannot be at fault for something you cannot control.”

Talus looked away, understanding his point, but still feeling bad about it transpiring altogether.

“What about you?” Cassie asked, gesturing to Jenos. “You’re immortal; you have _infinite_ amount of years to offer.”

Jenos closed his eyes, “I’ll have to meditate on this. In the meantime, you should finish with your mission.”

“We can’t just leave you in this predicament.” Tyra reasoned.

“I will find out what is going on and then fix it. This small set back shouldn’t prevent us from regrouping with Valera on time.”

“Well, he’s right.” Koga agreed, “We just need to scout the rest of the area and then we’re done. Shouldn’t be hard… knock on wood.”

* * *

 

The sun had just begun its set upon the horizon as lamp posts and candle wicks were burned to keep the town from a thick darkness. The most well lit and active building was the small town's tavern, a local hot spot for the weary traveler and alcohol addict. The candlelight gave the wooded interior a calm atmosphere as most of the tenants called it in for the evening and the night owls raised their glasses to another night of relaxation from their hard work.

The bartender had just poured a drunkard at the counter another shot when the doors swung open and the witch walked inside. She did not pause or hesitate in her steps as she made her way over to the counter, Jenos' wanted poster rolled up and clutched securely in her left hand.

The bartender's eyes took notice of her, but he did nothing else to offer her attention as he went back to his duties and started wiping down the counter with a stained washcloth. It wasn't until she placed her hand down on the counter in the way of his cleaning that he looked up with an unamused glare.

She was barely dressed, showing little more than what was considered appropriate in these parts, and her dirty, ragged look—despite the young beautiful face—told him she was most likely a beggar. Regardless, he decided to humor her.

“Can I help you, miss?” he asked after taking a much-needed deep breath. Her expression of annoyance never seemed to disappear from her face when she held up the poster for him to see.

“Have you seen this man?” she questioned with a no-nonsense attitude.

The bartender was taken back, knowing full well who the person was on the paper. The drunkard two seats down started chuckling to himself after getting a peek.

“That's no _man_.” He slurred his words before gulping down the rest of his drink. “That's a god… I think.”

Her eyes peered over at him, but no other action was taken. “Have you seen him or not?” she asked again, a bit more assertive than before.

“No, I haven't seen him.” The bartender replied.

“Has anyone else seen him?”

“Miss, I've already told the guards all that I know, which is nothing.”

“People talk when they're drunk and stupid.” She retorted.

“Yu got dat right.” The drunk man mumbled as he stood from the stool.

“Nick, sit down before you fall down.” He warned the guy who began to stumble towards them.

“You know what I think?” the drunkard said with a hiccup. The witch turned her head ever so slowly towards him. “I think you're just try'n to find ‘im cuz your in _luuuuuv_.” He spat out with an unbalanced lean towards her face. Her eye twitched as he continued, “You’ra pretty bit—”

Her hand flew up and her purple eyes turned red from the magic she wielded. The drunkard was thrown across the room and shoved up against the wall. A table and two chairs crashed against the floorboards from the force of her telekinesis and the chatter of the crowd ceased upon witnessing her actions.

“Do you know what I think?” she mocked, “I think you should shut your mouth before I shut it for you. Permanently.” The man only threw up on himself in response to her threat.

“Hey, hey, hey!” The bartender yelled, throwing his hands down on the counter, “Magic is not allowed at my bar! You either leave now or I will throw you out!”

Her eyes reverted back to their normal color and the man was dropped to the floor. She didn't even bother looking at the bartender as she then turned to address the crowd with the wanted poster held up for all to see.

“Anyone who has seen him, speak now.” She exclaimed firmly in examining their faces. No one spoke.

“This is your last warning or I'm calling the guard!” His last warning was ignored.

“No? Then I will take my leave.” She finished, sharing a nasty look with the bartender before making her way to the doors.

One of the attendants sitting down watched as she passed. His cup was paused at his lips and he quickly looked away when she turned around for one final glare at the bartender. When the doors closed, he allowed only a few seconds to pass before standing to pay for his drink. The bartender apologized for what happened and the man simply nodded in respect before too taking his leave.

As soon as the doors closed behind him and the evening cold air hit his skin, he searched both ways for the witch. He saw a glimpse of her hair disappearing into the woods before adjusting his coat and making his way to the back end of the tavern.

Hidden out of sight was his uniform, adorned with the Magistrate symbol and bathed in their signature red hues. He suited back up before running off in the opposite direction.

* * *

 

Back at the Magistrate camp, large military tents circled a secure perimeter of which was patrolled frequently by guards. Seated in the center was the largest with House Aico's banners waving gloriously in the evening wind.

Inside was Khan and his commanders as they stood over a center table with a map of the region laid out over it. Red and blue flags littered the paper as they coordinated their efforts into tracking down the Paladins.

In the middle of their talk, one the guards keeping watch outside stepped in and saluted Khan before speaking.

“My Primus,” he announced out of respect. Khan blinked in annoyance but stopped mid-sentence to reply.

“What is it?”

“My humble apologies for intruding, but a guard has returned from his patrol with urgent news.”

“Whatever it is, it can wait. We are busy—”

The soldier hesitated for only a second before speaking again, “He says it's about Jenos, sir.”

As if the magic word had been said, Khan straightened and immediately dismissed his commanders from his tent.

“Bring him in,” he ordered and the guard nodded in affirmation. The man from the bar, now dressed in his uniform, walked in and saluted Khan upon sight.

“At ease, tell me what you've found.” Khan got right to the point, impatience becoming a bad habit when dealing with these soldiers.

“Yes, sir. As you may have known, I was on patrol at the nearby town and happened upon a girl there.”

“A _girl_ at a _bar_ …” Khan sighed in disappointment, jumping to the conclusion of another _riveting_ story. He’s heard it all before.

“Y-yes.” The soldier hesitated before collecting himself again. “She was there looking for Jenos. Had his wanted poster and looked as pissed as can be. And, she was wielding some form of magic.”

The urge to dismiss him vanished when he heard this and Khan unfolded his arms, “She had crystals?”

“No sir, none that I could see. But she threw another guy up against the wall with… well, it looked like telekinesis.” He explained.

“And she was looking for Jenos?”

“Seemed pretty adamant in finding him. She disappeared into the forest heading north.”

“Interesting,” Khan responded in turning around in thought. “Another potential _ally_ crosses our path and one that may aid us in reacquiring Jenos.” A minute went by before he returned his sights to his subordinate, “Well done. You are dismissed.”

The soldier saluted him before exiting the tent, leaving Khan to his own thoughts.

“If the girl was looking for Jenos, then that must mean she had to have a run in with him.” He concluded as he leaned over the table to look over the map once more. “And if she is searching here…

He is close.”

* * *

 

The call of the bird of prey rang out into the wooded valley below as Zigs swooped down towards the hillside where Cassie was waiting eagerly for him. She stood atop a boulder with her friends stationed nearby, her arm reaching out with a welcoming smile as Zigs settled his fluttering wings and talons met leather gloves.

“Zigs!” She exclaimed with joy, “I missed you!”

Her red hunting companion squawked back with just as much love and for reasons unknown to anyone, Cassie seemed to understand completely what was being said.

“Aw, you’re so sweet.” She cooed as she rubbed his feathers under his beak.

Koga crossed his arms over his chest as he waited, “So, what’s the 411?”

“Well, let’s see.” She replied and with it, Zigs began spilling everything he found to her. Of course, all they could hear were his bird noises, but Cassie nodded and hummed as she listened before translating it all for the rest of them.

“There are Magistrate forces southwest of us and it looks like they’re heading west. A few camps, all split with the main camp in the center—probably to cover more ground—but they don’t seem too far from each other. There’s a town south of us—most likely their last stop—and another one further northwest.” Zigs chirped again, “Oh, and a bandit camp east of us.”

Koga shrugged his shoulders, “Seems clear to me.”

“With the Magistrate heading west, we can safely head north,” Cassie added.

“Agreed.” Tyra said, “Now that that’s all settled, we just gotta figure out what’s going on with our resident god and rendezvous with Valera further north.”

* * *

 

Jenos was resting in his usual position with crisscrossed legs folded in as his mind cleared for meditation. His surroundings blurred and the trees shifted shape as he returned to that night deep in the thick of darkness. The stars aligned and cleared his vision, their bright lights forming into shapes and colors as they modeled what he remembered. The burning tent, the large black cauldron, the torches lining the perimeter, and the witch caught up in his void grip. Time was stopped at this exact moment for him.

He unfolded his legs and drifted over towards the tent. The alchemical ingredients burning changed the composition of the flames and the gases it let off. The smell of sulfur no doubt came from an ingredient for some potion or spell. A bit of iron stemmed from the tools used for her torturous methods. The mixture of wood was mostly of the deciduous variety. And various fumes of lethal plants including the deadly nightshade, bisone berries, narcosis venus, and tarcus root. These all indicated the witch’s adventurous nature to collect such exotic components, but none of them were what was used in the cauldron.

He hovered over to it, peering inside to examine the liquid. It was colored green and thick like paste. It had no smell, but he knew it had to have tasted horrible; they usually did. There was an empty bowl and a ladle with the green paste inside, evident that it was taken and consumed.

He returned his attention to the witch, willing the stars to shift and blur everything else out of view. With a wave of his hand, her physical form transformed into the essence of her magic. Red, volatile, and hungry. It fed off of her with each use, the greater the spell the more life it drained.

Suddenly a tendril reached out and connected with his chest, his heart. A gasp left him and he backed away, but the line never broke. His hand moved up to it before his eyes raised to the witch. Her wrinkly skin became smooth, white hair turned brown, aged bones returned to strength. Her youth had been restored.

“She’s alive.” He whispered in surprise, the stars fading away to allow him to return to consciousness. His eyes opened to find his four friends staring at him in their return. Having just come into earshot, only Cassie picked up on his words but without understanding.

“What?” She asked curiously as the others filed in after her.

“The witch is still alive,” Jenos repeated more clearly as he straightened his legs.

“What?!” They all said in unison, staggered.

“You’re playing with us, right?” Koga remarked.

“I thought you said she was dead?” Talus said, disappointed at the thought of such a punishment avoided.

“She should be, but… that is why this is still here.” He answered, gesturing to the scratches on his cheek. “The magic she uses is an ancient form of blood magic. The ritual she was performing on you was nearly complete. All she needed was to drink—or absorb—one’s blood.”

Cassie looked disgusted, “And she used your blood?”

“Must have been absorbed through the skin under her nails.” He hypothesized, “I doubt that was her intent, to be honest.”

Koga crossed his arms, “So she’s immortal now?”

Jenos shook his head, “No, that is not how it works. But she has regained her youth through me and thus the channel remains open.” He went on to further explain.

“As you know, death is a transitory state, one I can rectify with ease. Therefore, I cannot die, not technically so. Even this form as you see me merely goes to sleep when left behind. But when you perform such a ritual, one of the participants is destined to die and it is usually the victim.”

“But you didn’t die,” Tyra stated flatly.

“And neither did she, explaining why the channel remains open. And because it is open, neither the witch nor myself will be able to heal. It will force one of us to die.”

Koga shrugged his shoulders, “Well, this is a no-brainer. We find the hag and kill her; problem solved.”

“It will not be that easy.” Jenos warned him, “Her magic is powerful and her will strong as still to this day she refuses to expire. There is no telling how many people she has killed to remain alive, but I doubt she’s lived any less than the normal human lifespan.”

“How much time do we have?” Tyra asked, eager to get down to business.

“I have all the time in the world, as I already explained to you.” Jenos replied, “But, there is an obstacle: as you all know, I cannot heal nor can I be healed. The more injuries I take, my power will fade until I can no longer retain the connection to this form. I would be forced to sever it and leave this realm.”

“But you can come back,” Talus said optimistically. Jenos looked down at him, unwilling to make the boy feel any worse than he knew he already did.

“Not until this body returns to full health, no.” Talus’ small smile faded away.

Tyra shook her head, “Then we need to find her.”

“But, where would we start looking?” Cassie raised a good point.

An idea suddenly came to the huntress, “Cassie, you said there was a town south of us?” she questioned.

“Yeah, but…” her eyes went to Zigs and he squawked in reply, “It’s _really_ close to the Magistrate camp.” She cautioned.

“Best place to start looking,” Koga advised, turning around to get on his horse, “we’ll just have to be careful.”

Jenos too hovered toward his horse, “I will be joining you.”

“Um…” Cassie stuttered, “I did say it was really close to the Magistrate camp.”

“The witch is looking for me,” he explained calmly, rising up to the saddle, “I am her only hope in living now. If she was at that town, she’d have asked for me. Seeing me in person will encourage the villagers to cooperate.”

Koga couldn’t help but smile, “ _Encourage_ , sure, we’ll go with that.”

“Ok, but we gotta be careful.” Tyra compromised, “The whole point of this mission was to remain unseen. Koga, that means no killing anyone you don’t like.”

“Old habits die hard, can make any promises.”

“Cassie, you should be on the lookout with Zigs; you’re our best eyes.”

Cassie smiled, “Got it.” She replied happily.

“The rest of us are with Jenos. We’ll follow your lead.” Tyra finished with a nod to said celestial. He nodded back in acknowledgment. He then turned his eyes to Talus who just settled onto his saddle.

_“If you wish to be of the greatest help, clear your mind.”_ The sudden presence of him on his young mind made Talus jump and peer back at Jenos. _“And your heart.”_

_“How do I do that?”_

Jenos’ horse trotted up next to his, _“If I do not blame you, why blame yourself?”_

Talus was at a loss for words as they rode off to their destination. He followed behind Jenos, thinking over what was said before coming to a resolution.

He was right, and that was all there was to it.

* * *

 

Her hand shook as her life was drained in exchange for the summon just performed; the red magic that encircled her fingers fading away to reveal her yet again aged skin. It fell to her side as she regained breath and stood straight with mustered strength to address the spirits before her now.

“Spirits of strength, intelligence, and dexterity,” She began, “I have summoned you for one task and one task only.”

The shadows twisted in place, this realm unfavorable to them as their eagerness grew to return to where they once dwelt.

“Seek out the god named Jenos, and return him to me.” She said with purples eyes piercing into the darkness of their hearts. “Alive.”


End file.
